Luzerne County, Pennsylvania | ||
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County | ||
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Topographical map of Luzerne County |
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Location in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania |
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Country | United States of America | |
State |
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Region | Northeastern Pennsylvania | |
Metro area | Wyoming Valley | |
Formed | September 25, 1786 | |
Named for | Chevalier de la Luzerne | |
County seat | Wilkes-Barre | |
Largest city | Wilkes-Barre | |
Government | ||
• Type | Council–manager | |
• Council | ||
• Council Chair | Linda McClosky Houck (D) | |
• Manager | C. David Pedri | |
Area | ||
• Total | 906 sq mi (2,350 km2) | |
• Land | 890 sq mi (2,300 km2) | |
• Water | 16 sq mi (40 km2) | |
Highest elevation | 2,460 ft (750 m) | |
Lowest elevation | 512 ft (156 m) | |
Population (2010) | ||
• Total | 320,918 | |
• Estimate (2015) | 318,449 | |
• Density | 350/sq mi (140/km2) | |
Time zone | EST (UTC−5) | |
• Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC−4) | |
Area code(s) | 570/272 | |
Website | www |
Luzerne County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 906 square miles (2,350 km2), of which 890 square miles (2,300 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) is water. It is Northeastern Pennsylvania’s second-largest county by total area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 320,918, making it the most populous county in the northeastern part of the state. The county seat and largest city is Wilkes-Barre. Other populous communities include Hazleton, Kingston, Nanticoke, and Pittston. Luzerne County is included in the Scranton–Wilkes-Barre–Hazleton Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a total population of 558,166 (as of 2015).
On September 25, 1786, Luzerne County was formed from part of Northumberland County. It was named after Chevalier de la Luzerne, a French soldier and diplomat during the 18th century. When it was founded, Luzerne County occupied a large portion of Northeastern Pennsylvania. From 1810 to 1878, it was divided into several smaller counties. The counties of Bradford, Lackawanna, Susquehanna, and Wyoming were all formed from parts of Luzerne County.